A Good Tenancy, Until It Was Time to Return Our Bond
I actually had a fairly positive impression of this agency during our tenancy. Unfortunately, that changed completely when it came to returning our bond.
After we moved interstate, the agency claimed $973.50 for gardening and rubbish removal. We had agreed to pay reasonable costs for the work identified at the final inspection, but that was never an agreement to pay whatever amount they decided to charge.
Our property manager, Laura Martinovich, handled the final inspection and subsequent bond claim. When we asked her for invoices and a breakdown of the charges, I found her response dismissive and unhelpful. Rather than providing the documents directly, Laura told us they would be provided through the bond claim process, and that we could dispute the charges if we disagreed. I found her tone unprofessional and her attitude dismissive. The way she brushed aside a perfectly reasonable request for basic supporting documents made me feel genuinely uncomfortable, disrespected and offended. I don’t think tenants should have to initiate a formal dispute just to understand what they are being charged for.
So we did.
The Residential Tenancy Commissioner subsequently found that the gardening work had actually left the property in better condition than when we moved in, and reduced the gardening claim from $660 to $400.
The agency was also awarded $313.50 for rubbish removal. The determination referred to items in the laundry cupboard, which, to the best of my recollection, were already there when we moved in. We were never given the opportunity to examine the agent’s complete supporting evidence before the decision was made.
Having already relocated interstate, taking a dispute over a few hundred dollars to court simply isn’t worth the time, expense and stress. The experience left me feeling that the agency was taking advantage of that practical limitation.
Tenants should be responsible for returning a property to its original condition, not paying to improve it beyond that condition. By that logic, why not renovate the entire house and send us the bill?
What makes this particularly disappointing is that I had a generally positive impression of the agency throughout our tenancy. It was only when our bond was at stake that their approach to communication, transparency and accountability changed my opinion completely. Based on this experience, I would not recommend doing business with South Property Group to anyone.